Why is 1st August considered to be the 'horse's birthday'?

Question

I remember hearing that the 1st August each year is the 'horse's birthday'. Why is this and what does it mean?

Answer 1

I saw this one and rang my cuz, she's been breeding and competing since before dirt and she said it's for the racing industry.

I read Alex B's answer to her and she said it's pretty much spot on.

Answer 2

Originally it was for race horses - i.e. TB's and Standardbreds, but extended to apply to all stud book horses and ponies  IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE ONLY.

In the northern hemisphere the official Horses birthday is 1st January.

Again if you look at the difference in the climates - these dates are the end of winter, beginning of spring in each hemisphere.

Answer 3

Exactly what ALEX B  said is the right answer

Answer 4

You heard wrong....every horse's birthday, or the day they advance a year, is January 1.  So a late colt born in July may truthfully be only 6 months old, but will be classed as a year come January 1.  He may have to compete against much older horses in racing, etc.  But January 1 is considered the day every horse advances to the next year, for competition and racing purposes.

Answer 5

Alex Bs' answer is as correct as your going to get but to expand on it by way of anecdote the reason the southern hemisphere is August 1st and not July 1st as you would expect was that the northern gentry didn't want to upset their summer break.

Answer 6

this is for the racing world only and some shows. not really to do with anything else.

Answer 7

My birthday too !!!

I am half a century old !!!

I live in Australia and for as long as I have known it has been to standardise the racing industry, as others have stated.

Answer 8

Alex B is right its for Racing purposes !!  

Answer 9

Its really only Tourghebreds

because they had yunger horses in races against older ones.

they just said august 1st was the day so it would be fair

Answer 10

All thoroughbreds have the same birthday so that their ages can be standardized for comparison because of the historical lack of records of actual birth days.  Their birthdays are January 1st in the northern hemisphere and August 1st in the southern hemisphere.  After the first time a horse is alive on August 1st it is considered a yearling.  The next August 1st is it's 2nd birthday and it is considered 2 years old, even though it could conceivably be one year one day old.

Answer 11

Hey Shirley , ever heard of a race called the Golden Slipper. It`s the richest race for 2 year old thoroughbreds in the world.  The first of August is used as a standard so that the ages of horses need only be remembered in years and not months or days. A horse born on the 31st July would be 1 year old one day later and so on. Racehorses are traditionally branded with the year of birth on the shoulder so as to be identified by officials etc.

Answer 12

This is why I love horses! I was not aware of this! My birthday is August 1st!

The world makes sense again.

Kidding. This is awesome though.

Answer 13

no silly!! its MY BIRTHDAY today!!!!!!!!

yay happy birthday to me!!!!!!!!!!

i got an LG SHINE!!!

sorry but um yes i think it is the thourough bred birthday!

lol. im a thouroughbred.... hmmm......

Answer 14

As a Veterinary Surgeon  in equine practice , I can say that both Alex B and crash-test-dunny are both saying the same thing and are correct.

Answer 15

alex b is correct. it is a standardisation for the race. Also it is usually considered the beginning of the racing season

Answer 16

It is calculated that a horse has to be 3 years of age before it is allowed to race. All new born horses born over the preceding year are deemed to be 3 years of age at the 1st August.  Similar to a cat's life each one year of human life is deemed to be seven years for a cat.